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Acer SP111-31N-C4UG Honest Review for an Entry Level convertible

Pros:

Full HD Display

SSD storage

Lightweight design

Up to 9 hours of battery life

Cons:

Celeron processor

No dedicated graphics chip

Convertibles have become a staple of the laptop market, perfect for those who are torn between the need of a laptop or the need of a tablet. Some convertibles tend towards the high end user, such as the recently reviewed Acer R5-571TG-7229 which includes a dedicated graphics card as well as 12 GB of RAM.

However, the market for convertibles still points mostly towards "light" machines. Such is the case of the latest Acer SP111-31N-C4UG, which we will be reviewing today.

This new convertible plans to seduce us making use of its Full HD display, long lasting battery life and SSD storage unit, as well as a very competitive price. Without further delay, let's get to know this model in more detail, shall we?

Key Specs

Processor:

Intel Celeron (1.1 GHz)

Storage:

32 GB

Display:

11.6"
(Full HD)

RAM:

4 GB

Graphics:

Intel HD Graphics

A standard design

When it comes down to design, the Acer SP111-31N-C4UG doesn't really set itself apart from other convertibles within its segment. You should remember at this point that this is a budget convertible which tends to mean that there wasn't a lot of work done towards the design.

Passing off as a regular business laptop, Acer's new computer makes its mark thanks ti its 11.6 inch LED-Backlit IPS display with a Full HD resolution and a 16:9 widescreen ratio. Couple that with the long lasting battery life and you're looking at the perfect convertible to just chill out and watch the latest season of house of cards.

I'm a believer that a true convertible must be small in dimensions and have a very lightweight body to be able to carry it around everywhere as you would with a tablet. We've already seen that this model boosts an 11.6 inch display, but what about its weight?

Well, on that matter you wont be disappointed as it weighs just 3.3 pounds, about 2 pounds less than most conventional laptops. As for the thickness aspect, it measures 0.8 inches, making the whole set pretty portable when it comes down to it.

An ok performance

In terms of performance if we judge this machine as a tablet then we're good, if we judge it as a laptop then we're sorely lacking as it has the key components we've come to expect from an entry level laptop and hardly anything above that standard.

To that regard we've got an Intel Celeron N3350 that works at a base frequency of just 1.1 GHz with a maximum clock speed of 2.4 GHz thanks to Intel's Turbo Boost technology. This is a dual core processor which should be tasked with things such as watching videos, editing documents, browsing the web and perhaps doing some light coding (html, javascript and the sorts). It's not a powerhouse processor and you should hardly expect the performance of one such CPU.

When it comes to RAM we've got a 4GB DDR3L module which will work for the tasks mentioned above yet you shouldn't really expect to do some intensive multitasking on this machine as it might freeze up or slow down if you're trying to handle too many programs at any given time.

Finally, storage is actually quite decent, not because of its capacity but because of its type. Specifically, we've got a 32 GB SSD storage unit which means that it will be able to handle tasks rather quickly and efficiently. Having a 32 GB storage unit also gives you a hint as to what kind of convertible you're looking at; a cloudbook convertible, one that's meant to operate primarily with cloud based software, aka "online programs".

What's the deal with battery life and gaming?

Battery life is one of the Acer SP111-31N-C4UG's most prominent features as it has a 4 cell 3220 mAh battery that promises to deliver up to 9 hours of full autonomy, something that I've always liked about Acer's convertible lineup.

That said, knowing how manufacturers calculate the promoted battery life you should expect roughly 7 hours of regular usage or up to 6 hours of video streaming which isn't all that bad anyways.

Gaming on this machine is a big no-no. It has an integrated graphics card which, along with the Celeron processor simply won't allow for hardcore gaming yet you probably knew that already, didn't you?

Vast connectivity options

While there's no graphics chip on this model, connectivity is pretty good for a convertible. Specifically, we've got a couple of USB 2.0 ports, a standalone USB 3.0 port, SD card reader, HDMI port, the Bluetooth 4.0 standard and WiFi ac connectivity with Mu-MIMO technology and dual band antennas, meaning you can get up to three times the download speeds over a standard b/g/n WiFi that you'd find on most budget laptops.

There's also an HD webcam which is much appreciated considering the Full HD display as well as a built-in-stereo sound system. Overall, not a bad combo of connectivity options, barring the obvious negligence of an ethernet port and DVD drive.

Is it worth my money?

Of course to answer this question depends mainly on the user and his intentions. Honestly, after our review of the Acer SP111-31N-C4UG we're pretty inclined towards buying it. Perhaps not as a primary laptop for the more hardcore users but its a perfect secondary "travel laptop".

On the other hand, for that set of users who wants a laptop mainly to edit documents, watch videos and get on facebook as well as browse the web then we find this to be a pretty suitable option. Heck, if this laptop would've been on the market when my father was looking to buy one I would've probably bought him this one as it fits his needs perfectly for someone who isn't a hardcore power-user.

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